Month: September 2008

Abundant Life

Seeking Order in a Chaotic World

Karen

Vodpod videos no longer available.

I thought this Truth or Tradition promotional video might be a comfort to those out there that are trying to find peace in their lives, especially today, September 11th, seven years after the twin towers’ tragedy, when we’re more apt to remember our wounds and question God.

In addition, I thought this article was timely and if you have a few minutes, give it a read, won’t you?

September 11th – never forget.

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen – Moments in Time

Karen

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Thirteen recent moments from my life:

1. MK lost his first molar at school Tuesday.

2. It happened at lunch, while he was eating a sticky fruit roll-up.

3. And it happened in front of the girl he has had a crush on for the past four years.

4. MK was NOT a happy camper.

5. Dinner Tuesday night, MK suddenly stopped eating his frito pie.

6. He had a strange expression on his face.

7. He lost an eye tooth at the dinner table.

8. It was a two-for-one sale for the tooth fairy Tuesday night.

9. According to MK’s dental x-rays, he has about eight more baby teeth on the verge of falling out – soon.

10. The tooth fairy is going to have to apply for welfare before this is over.

11. MK’s top-left eye tooth is growing OVER his baby eye tooth.

12. The baby eye tooth is not loose – at all.

13. I see another trip to the dentist in our future – very soon.

*SIGH*

Can We Talk?

Just the Facts, Please

Karen

If there was one thing I learned in college – it was the POWER OF LANGUAGE. I don’t think you can truly appreciate how effective strong, clever rhetoric is until you understand the three modes of persuasion:

Ethos – Ethos is an appeal to authority. It is how well the speaker convinces the audience that he or she is qualified to speak on the particular subject.

Pathos – Pathos is an appeal to the audience’s emotions. It can be in the form of metaphor, simile, a passionate delivery, or even a simple claim that a matter is unjust. Pathos can be particularly powerful if used well, but most speeches do not solely rely on pathos. Pathos is most effective when the author connects with an underlying value of the reader.

Logos – Logos is logical appeal, and indeed the term logic is derived from it. It is normally used to describe facts and figures that support the speaker’s topic. Since data is difficult to manipulate, especially if from a trusted source, logos may sway cynical listeners. Having a logos appeal also enhances ethos (see above) because information makes the speaker look knowledgeable and prepared to his or her audience. However, data can be confusing and thus confuse the audience. Logos can also be misleading or inaccurate.

Politicians are masters of rhetoric. It behooves us to remember that when listening to and/or reading something from the political arena. And just because something is on TV, or it’s passed around through email, doesn’t make it true. Remember the old adage, “Don’t believe everything you read or hear?” That can’t be truer than when it applies to politics.

Before you get yourself worked up into a frenzy over a news reel, or something in your email box, consider the facts – specifically from Factcheck.org.

Here are some recent claims made about McCain, Obama and Palin … and here are the facts:

Fact checking McCain:

  • McCain claimed that Obama’s health care plan would “force small businesses to cut jobs” and would put “a bureaucrat … between you and your doctor.” In fact, the plan exempts small businesses, and those who have insurance now could keep the coverage they have.
  • McCain attacked Obama for voting for “corporate welfare” for oil companies. In fact, the bill Obama voted for raised taxes on oil companies by $300 million over 11 years while providing $5.8 billion in subsidies for renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative fuels.
  • McCain said oil imports send “$700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much.” But the U.S. is on track to import a total of only $536 billion worth of oil at current prices, and close to a third of that comes from Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
  • He promised to increase use of “wind, tide [and] solar” energy, though his actual energy plan contains no new money for renewable energy. He has said elsewhere that renewable sources won’t produce as much as people think.
  • He called for “reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs,” but as in the past failed to cite a single program that he would eliminate or reduce.
  • He said Obama would “close” markets to trade. In fact, Obama, though he once said he wanted to “renegotiate” the North American Free Trade Agreement, now says he simply wants to try to strengthen environmental and labor provisions in it.

Fact checking Obama:

  • Obama said he could “pay for every dime” of his spending and tax cut proposals “by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens.” That’s wrong – his proposed tax increases on upper-income individuals are key components of paying for his program, as well. And his plan, like McCain’s, would leave the U.S. facing big budget deficits, according to independent experts.
  • He twisted McCain’s words about Afghanistan, saying, “When John McCain said we could just ‘muddle through’ in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources.” Actually, McCain said in 2003 we “may” muddle through, and he recently also called for more troops there.
  • He said McCain would fail to lower taxes for 100 million Americans while his own plan would cut taxes for 95 percent of “working” families. But an independent analysis puts the number who would see no benefit from McCain’s plan at 66 million and finds that Obama’s plan would benefit 81 percent of all households when retirees and those without children are figured in.
  • Obama asked why McCain would “define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year”? Actually, McCain meant that comment as a joke, getting a laugh and following up by saying, “But seriously …”
  • Obama noted that McCain’s health care plan would “tax people’s benefits” but didn’t say that it also would provide up to a $5,000 tax credit for families.
  • He said McCain, far from being a maverick who’s “broken with his party,” has voted to support Bush policies 90 percent of the time. True enough, but by the same measure Obama has voted with fellow Democrats in the Senate 97 percent of the time.
  • Obama said “average family income” went down $2,000 under Bush, which isn’t correct. An aide said he was really talking only about “working” families and not retired couples. And – math teachers, please note – he meant median (or midpoint) and not really the mean or average. Median family income actually has inched up slightly under Bush.

Fact checking Palin:

  • Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years.
  • She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a “What if?” question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin’s first term.
  • She was never a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to vote on whether they wish to secede from the United States. She’s been registered as a Republican since May 1982.
  • Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a “courtesy” when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.
  • Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska’s schools. She has said that students should be allowed to “debate both sides” of the evolution question, but she also said creationism “doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum.”

Factcheck.org is in the process of verifying an email that has been passed around by a woman named Anne Kilkenny. Many readers/bloggers have taken this email to be gospel. I’m very curious to read Factcheck’s FACTS about this email … stay tuned.

You can also watch videos from the fact check people blowing holes (the size of craters) from both parties’ political TV ad claims. It’s QUITE revealing and interesting.

I have found a new favorite place. My advice? Get your facts straight before reacting, and please, don’t be sucked into the hype and rhetoric.

It’s okay to fact check. 🙂

Reflections

Coffee Chat September 08 Prompt – #2

Karen

Coffee Chat at writefromkaren.com

Need to know the Coffee Chat guidelines and prompts?

Have you already written your post? Then you can submit the link here.

Here’s my version; maybe this will give you an idea for your own post.

___________________________________

Long before you met your significant other, what did you picture your future mate would be like?‘

(This was written to my husband).

Believe it or not, I never pictured my future mate – ever.

I didn’t have fancy daydreams about what my wedding would be like when I was a girl. I loved acting out weddings with my dolls, but I never once gave my own wedding much thought; getting married and living happily ever after was never high on my priority list. I really have no idea why – I suppose I was too busy trying to secure my career aspirations and finding out what I wanted from life to ever really think about a future life partner.

And you know me, I’m a person who has always lived in the future, so you would think picturing, and planning for, my future husband would be something I would think about, at least once in a while.

True, I did think about having a steady boyfriend. I never really had any one boy/man in my life for very long – and that was mostly my fault for as you know, I felt it was necessary to dump the guys first before they had a chance to dump me later to protect my heart from being broken.

You certainly know how long it took you to get close enough for me to let me guard down (and even to this day, I don’t feel like it’s completely down), so you can imagine how cautious I was back then with men.

And though I craved the companionship, I was fine with the thought that it might not happen. I wasn’t one of those females who defined their very existence based on a man’s opinion or approval – I would be me and if someone accepted that, great. If not, then life would go on and I would find a way to be happy, with or without a steady mate.

Then I met you. I was 24 and really just beginning my career at the bank. I was focused, carefree and completely open to new experiences and relationships, if they happened to come my way. I certainly wasn’t going to go out and actively find them myself.

When Lacey introduced us, and I saw your handsome face and charming smile, I began to entertain the thought that perhaps it would be fun to share my life with someone else. And when you spoke to me for the first time and made me laugh, I began to hope that that someone would be you.

___________________________________

Here are more of the Coffee Chat participants so far …

1. rummuser at Ramana’s Musing: Wisdom by Hindsight

2. Lynn P at Learning By Living

3. Stacy at The Everyday Adventures of a Natural Blonde

Please visit the Coffee Chat participants! There’s no telling what you’ll learn about each other and just think! You could make a new best friend! 🙂

Did you participate? Feel free to copy and paste the code for the below button to your blog!

Coffee Chat at writefromkaren.com

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src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/2819343038_8088203c22_o.jpg&quot; alt="Coffee Chat at writefromkaren.com" /></a>

Hurry! You only have until September 15th to publish your Coffee Chat posts! (Pst., you could win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate or a $10 Starbucks gift card!!)

Writing Stuff

Too Scared to Sell Myself

Karen

Every time we go camping in Branson, we hit one particular bookstore. It used to be called “Foozles”, I can’t remember what it’s called now since it’s been taken over by new management.

We loved this bookstore. Mainly because their prices were cheap. Granted, most of their inventory was old, as in months old, but we didn’t care. We usually walked away with bags of books.

The last few camping trips, with the store under new management, we’ve noticed that this bookstore’s inventory was simply not moving. The same books are still sitting on the dusty shelves and they are a few YEARS old. As in, 2006 guides to Disney World old. Granted, I don’t think tourist’s guides really change all that much from year-to-year, but overall, I don’t think people are interested in spending money on outdated material.

I know I’m not.

This makes me incredibly sad because you and I both know, this bookstore will likely not survive. Especially now that a big-time “chain” store has been built and is likely luring all of the bookworms away. I always feel so sorry for the smaller “mom and pop” stores. They’re just trying to make a living, too. You know?

But this post isn’t about the demise of our small-time retailers. But rather about the man who had set up a desk by the front entrance of this bookstore and was trying to talk people into buying his book.

His self-published book.

Now before you get your fingers in a knot, let me explain. I don’t have a problem with the self-published route, per se …

Well okay, I take that back. I think I do have a problem with being self-published. To me, that’s a cop-out. To me, that’s fooling yourself into thinking that you can actually write and heck, no one else wants your treasure so why not take your sub-par material and force it on the public?

Harsh? Yes. But that’s always my initial reaction to anyone who proudly proclaims they are self-published.

BUT … (are you still with me?)

I can UNDERSTAND where these people are coming from. There are a variety of reasons people self-publish their work.

1. They tried the traditional route and were rejected.

2. They don’t care to walk down that traditional route and want to avoid all the BS that comes with traditional publishing and cut out the middle man, so to speak.

3. Even if you went down the traditional publishing route and were lucky enough to be picked up by someone, you are STILL expected to market your own work. You STILL have to do a lot of legwork to get the word out – you might as well do the work yourself and get all the profits, right?

4. They don’t care if their work is widely read to begin with. They are simply interested in seeing their name on a book and if they sell a few hundred copies, well then, great. Life goes on.

I think if I ever went down the self-published route, number 4 is where I’d likely fit.

But then again, some of the crap that the traditional publishing houses choose to print is truly astounding, too. So to be published the traditional way is not just about whether or not you write well, but more about your connections and if you’re a name brand or not. So, just because someone is self-published doesn’t automatically mean their writing is bad, it could just mean their work never made it across the desks of agents/editors who were interested in looking past their self-imposed blinders.

I think that’s my biggest fear when it comes to trying to get anything of mine published – the exposure – the vulnerability. The fear of being told I suck and why am I wasting everyone’s time?

And the rejection.

In essence, I’m trying to sugar coat the fact that I’m a chicken at heart to even try.

Shame on me.

But not this guy. This guy was proudly standing by his table of books and he was greeting (the few) customers who walked through the bookstore’s doors. And once he greeted people, he went right into his spiel about why they should buy his book.

My heart went out to him. I mean, my heart actually HURT because I could so easily see myself in his shoes, desperately trying to get people interested in my work.

And anyone who knows me KNOWS I’m a LOUSY marketing person. I can’t sell a doorknob to a knob-less door. If I even SUSPECT I’m irritating people with my sales pitch, then I stop and give up.

When I was a teller at the bank and that became part of my job – to try and coax customers into signing up for various programs, etc – I broke out in a cold sweat. I can’t push myself on people! I just can’t! It makes me extremely uncomfortable because you know people are looking at their watches and trying to think of a graceful way to say no. I hate putting myself in that position to begin with – I hate putting other people in that position.

So, the fact that this guy had the balls to step out into public to try and sell his book, well, I admired him. I admired him and I felt sorry for him, especially when people politely shook their heads and walked away without giving the guy’s book a second glance.

I’m just not sure my heart could stand the rejection, quite frankly.

I’m ashamed to admit this, but I skirted past the guy. Luckily, the guy latched onto my husband first, who is probably the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, and he stopped to listen, thereby giving me an opportunity to just sort of blend into the nearest bookshelf.

I watched the guy and my husband talk for a long time. And my heart burst with pride when my husband picked up one of the guy’s books, shook his hand and came over to join me.

He was going to buy the guy’s book.

I was dying to ask him all sorts of questions about the guy and the plot of his book, but the place was deserted and very, very quiet, and I was afraid the writer would hear me talking about him, so I kept my mouth shut.

We bought the guy’s book and left.

But my husband later told me a little bit about the guy’s life and why he chose to self-publish (see above reasons), and about the plot of his book.

And I must admit, I was interested. And my respect for this guy went up about ten notches because it sounded like he was an articulate, intelligent man who was retired and giving the writing gig a shot.

What awesome courage. He didn’t have anything to lose – he was already financially set, he was simply riding the tail of his hobby to see where it might lead him.

My husband read the book. He said that it had quite a few typos and probably needed an editor who knew what he/she was doing (the guy had some of his friends edit it for him – don’t do that – ever), but overall, the story was interesting and kept him interested enough to finish it.

The whole episode has prompted my husband to ride my butt about submitting my own work. And he’s absolutely right, I need to at LEAST TRY. But the thought of me becoming like that man, standing by the door of a dying bookstore and greeting people who come in the door and then starting a cold sales pitch about my book makes me hyperventilate.

And that’s a sobering realization. Because I think that tells me that perhaps I really don’t want to be published all that badly if I’m not willing to put myself out there and take a chance.

I’m pretty tough and confident in nearly all aspects of my life – except when it comes to my writing. When it comes to my writing, I’m a quivering, spineless jelly fish and it disgusts me.